This research examines the cognitive content, behavioral impact, and mitigating factors of a negative vulnerability stereotype associated with the knowledge of an infant's prematurity. The dynamics of the expectancy confirmation process suggest the potential for detrimental and adverse effects of this negative stereotype on the development of prematurely born infants through iatrogenic caretaker behavior which produces the expected vulnerability in the child. The present study extends and integrates previous research in the area which has found evidence for this negative impact. The study aims to fill several gaps which exist in the literature, and at the same time provide information to health care professionals on improving service delivery as well a information which can enhance the development of infants born prematurely. First, the study further explores the content of the stereotype in an ecologically valid group of subjects (i.e., mothers of premature infants). Second, the study focuses on the impact of the stereotype on maternal behavior. the study will be the first to assess the behavioral reactions of mothers of premature infants to premature infants labeled full-term and premature. third, the study evaluates the impacts of the stereotype on maternal perceptions and behavior in the context of testing the viability of an educationally based intervention strategy in mitigating the prematurity stereotype. Fourth, the study assesses how individual differences in coping styles might impact receptivity to the intervention. Two mothers and their prematurely born infants (a total of 64) will be contacted to participate in the study and each mother will engage in a structured interaction with the other mother's premature infant The infant will be introduced to the mother as either being born full-term or prematurely. Based on the previous research in the area, it is hypothesized that mothers of premature infants who are given information stressing the similarities between full-term and premature infant development prior to their interactions toward infants labeled premature or full-term. However, mothers not given such information will exhibit perceptual and behavioral negative stereotyping biases toward infants labeled premature.